Cape Coral Verdict Makes Living Off the Grid Illegal in Florida

If you’re in Florida and hope to live a more sustainable “off the grid” lifestyle that’s free from the influence of energy companies and massive agricultural conglomerates by adding solar panels to your home, harvesting rainwater, and planting an organic garden on your property- watch out. Citing the International Property Maintenance Code, city officials in Cape Coral, FL are now forcing Ms. Robin Speronis to use city utilities instead of private solar panels and rainwater, or risk being booted from the property!

This news comes just three months after a Miami Shores, FL couple was forced to remove an organic garden from their private property in December. In that instance, the Florida city claimed the couple was in violation of zoning laws, despite the fact that the garden- which the couple had maintained for some 17 years– pre-dated the zoning. “We are already feeling the impact of shopping for overpriced organic food,” said Hermine Ricketts, who dug up the garden in the face of $50/day citations for non-compliance.

News of people losing their homes and governments violating their citizens’ rights regarding their own property- which, you know, they sort of exist to defend- is all too familiar to people who’ve followed the troubles of Sean Law and Julie Bass. Bass, you may recall, was facing prison time in Michigan for planting a vegetable garden in her yard. It’s also worth remembering that Law is also a Floridian whose only “real” crime is trying to live off the grid, confirming that Florida really is America’s wang.

I’d like to leave you now with a hearty “F*** you, Florida!”, and hope that you guys are smart enough to put as many miles as you can between your family and that roach-infested s***hole.

Maybe the First Family should check their zoning regulations at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to verify that they are in compliance. Ms. Obama’s self gardening concept is great but you will never witness President Obama holding a town hall meeting about a citizens right to grow a garden on their property. Just remember who funds the campaigns.

Sky Ryder

I have a question for any Floridian official that has help mandate this new law for living off grid. Are you going to suspend the legal ramifications of this law for our German counterparts living in your state or will all the windmills, buggies and hand water wells be diminished for them as well???? You know exactly what I mean, if you can’t enforce the law equally then it will never hold water in any court unless that court is corrupt.

Sky Ryder

I have a question for any Floridian official that has help mandate this new law for living off grid. Are you going to suspend the legal ramifications of this law for our German counterparts living in your state or will all the windmills, buggies and hand water wells be diminished for them as well???? You know exactly what I mean, if you can’t enforce the law equally then it will never hold water in any court unless that court is corrupt.

Mark Potochnik

Shut down and evict every country home and farm on a well and septic…..

Money is power and when enough people leave Florida maybe they will get the message. There are many places to live across the country that still allow you the guaranteed freedoms of it’s constitution. One being the pursuit of happiness.

Mark Potochnik

Shut down and evict every country home and farm on a well and septic…..

Money is power and when enough people leave Florida maybe they will get the message. There are many places to live across the country that still allow you the guaranteed freedoms of it’s constitution. One being the pursuit of happiness.

smudged

I live here in north florida and I honestly love living here but as of late I am disgusted with how the state is being run, and as I stand today I will continue to develop my hone and garden how I see fit

I left Florida after nearly 30 years over all manner of nonsense the state’s gov’t is pushing- and it’s not one party or the other, either. Florida politics is all about money and force. It’s gross.

Sky Ryder

Gross would be right but you didn’t finish. It would be gross negligence to the constitution of the United States of America. I am not a Floridian but Florida doesn’t even sound like a good place to visit to me. I hope they know what this will do to their revenue. Brilliant I might say.

run for office. or get a good person to do so. democracy relies on civic involvement from good-hearted people.

Jason Vanderhoff

We don’t live in a democracy with live in a socialist republic. Did you graduate high school?

smudged

I live here in north florida and I honestly love living here but as of late I am disgusted with how the state is being run, and as I stand today I will continue to develop my hone and garden how I see fit

I left Florida after nearly 30 years over all manner of nonsense the state’s gov’t is pushing- and it’s not one party or the other, either. Florida politics is all about money and force. It’s gross.

Sky Ryder

Gross would be right but you didn’t finish. It would be gross negligence to the constitution of the United States of America. I am not a Floridian but Florida doesn’t even sound like a good place to visit to me. I hope they know what this will do to their revenue. Brilliant I might say.

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